FilmNeverDie Releases the New CP800 Film Processor

If you're a fan of all things darkroom-related, you'll get a kick from this. FilmNeverDie (FND) just announced last November that they will be releasing the CP800 in the market in an effort to give film photography aficionados and darkroom lovers a new gadget to play with. The Australia-based company decided to push through with the release of the CP800 even after its initial Kickstarter campaign missed its target last 2021.

Instead of accepting things the way they are, FND pulled itself up by its bootstraps and released the CP800 anyway. CP800 stands for Compact Processor 800 and it is a semi-automated rotary drum film processor that anyone can use to batch-process film at home.

The CP800 is FND's answer to film labs' growing problems with outdated film processing machines that are increasingly becoming difficult to source, repair, and maintain. Every unit is assembled by FND Malaysia and comes with a 5-year warranty from the company. People will also be able to buy parts for their units should they need to in the future. That's great news, especially for film labs that still have to rely on old machines that have either very rare or non-existent replacement parts.

It's listed for USD 4,350 on FND's site and so perhaps could be seen as expensive or excessive. However, that's a pretty good deal if you ask us, considering what you're getting. The 5-year warranty covers you from unexpected repairs right after you receive your unit, you get a large capacity drum that you can use to batch-process 35 mm and 120 films, and a convenient, streamlined process that makes things a lot easier even for people who are considering it for home use. Every unit is also professionally assembled and tested before it is shipped out to make sure there are no hiccups when it arrives at your doorstep.

For film fans who want to take a different route, they can also refer to the open-source project on Github. That essentially means that anyone can use the source code to create their own CP800 machines if they want to. FND is doing the film photography community a solid one here in order to democratize film processing by giving people a choice and an alternative to a finished product.

If you're interested, here are some of the CP800's specs that are taken straight out of FilmNeverDie's site:

- Large capacity 8x 135/4x 120 processing drum
- 5x chemistry/1x water channel(s)
- Variable push/pull timing
- Paterson, AP & Jobo 1500 reel compatible

FilmNeverDie is a Melbourne, Australia-based professional photo lab and retail store that sells film cameras, film, and other photo gear. They also offer developing and scanning services. It was founded by Gary Wong back in 2011 with the goal of bringing the film community together.

All information used in this article was sourced from FilmNeverDie.

written by cheeo on 2022-12-19 #gear #news #videos #australia #gear #darkroom #news #film-photography #cp800 #film-never-die #film-processor